


Time Will Tell

by breakdancingsigma (hetawholockvengerstuck)



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi, Some free-time event spoilers, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, TiMER AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 11:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1132056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hetawholockvengerstuck/pseuds/breakdancingsigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone is born with a timer on their wrist, counting down to the moment when they'll meet their soul mate. That doesn't mean that the meeting is predictable, though.</p><p>(Timer AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Asahina x Hagakure

**Author's Note:**

> A brief bit of background on this AU:
> 
> Everyone is born with a timer, which counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until you meet your soul mate. A broken timer occurs when a soul mate has died; there are some timer dating sites which can help you find someone whose timer matches yours; and it's possible to meet without having a timer, i.e., if you've got a broken timer and so does someone else.
> 
> I may add more chapters if I ship more things.

Asahina and Sakura were made for each other.

They were sure of it. Their timers were synced to the millisecond, and their bond grew each day. So what if they had met years before their timers ran out? As Asahina put it, sometimes the timers were wrong; sometimes, people met their soul mates and didn’t realize it. And they both wanted to believe it.

They were inseparable; they spent their free time together, they studied together, they had sleepovers at least three times a week. People who couldn’t see their timers assumed that their timers had already run out.

Forty-eight hours before their timers were due to reach zero, Sakura came over to Asahina’s apartment. The plan was to stick together, spend the remaining time with one another and celebrate once their timers expired. Asahina had bought boxes of donuts, and they had both rented stacks of movies to pass the time.

Thirty-seven hours before their timers reached zero, Sakura’s broke.

At first, she tried to conceal it. Asahina looked so happy. But they knew each other too well, and eventually Asahina noticed that something was wrong. Sakura had no choice but to tell her.

“But if yours is broken, why isn’t mine?” Asahina asked.

“It would seem we are not romantic soul mates after all,” Sakura said. Seeing the hurt in her friend’s eyes, she continued: “But that does not mean we are not soul mates. A deep platonic bond…does that not also constitute a soul mate?”

Asahina forced herself to smile. “You’re right, Sakura-chan. I’m so sorry your timer broke, though. Why would fate take away your true soul mate?”

Sakura’s wrist began to tingle. She looked down; the timer was about to fall off, disintegrate, but there was a symbol, flashing in place of the numbers Sakura had gotten so used to. “He or she died of illness, apparently. So young…”

“You can still find a soul mate, though, can’t you?” Asahina asked, worried.

“Of course. People without timers meet their other halves all the time. But you should think of yourself, Asahina. Your soul mate is still out there.” Sakura stood up and began gathering her things. “You should attempt to find them.

Asahina held out a hand to stop Sakura. “Please stay! I don’t want to have a soul mate if they aren’t you!”

“It was a mistake to become so attached to the idea that we would be soul mates. It will be hard, but I know you can move on.”

Sakura hated to disappoint her friend, but she only wanted what was best for her; so, with a heavy heart, she left a crying Asahina behind.

 

//////////

 

The next day, Asahina went out for donuts by herself. Usually, eating the pastries was a surefire way to lift her mood; this time, Asahina couldn’t even enjoy the taste. She tossed out the remaining half of a cinnamon twist and left the building. As she opened the door, she caught a glimpse of her wrist and nearly froze.

She had seven minutes left.

Dread coursed through her. She didn’t want to meet her “soul mate”. Maybe, if she didn’t, she could stay with Sakura…

The best way to avoid her “soul mate” was to remain in her home, open the door for no one, hide under the covers. But her apartment was fifteen minutes away. She cursed herself for being so careless and broke into a run.

It seemed like the entire universe was fighting her. At the first intersection, a gang of motorcyclists sped through a red light, forcing Asahina to wait and wasting precious seconds. Then a crowd of people exited a building right in front of her, and she had to shove her way through the well-dressed men and women.

When she had made about a quarter of the way, she made the mistake of checking her wrist.

She had two minutes left. Her apartment was still three busy intersections and seven flights of stairs away. She would never get there on time.

With that knowledge came the realization that she was helplessly trapped. Fate had ensnared her in its cruel game, and Asahina had no choice but to play along. Now her despair returned, accompanied by a crushing fear. She couldn’t imagine anyone better than Sakura. Her soul mate was certain to be a disappointment. What if he or she wasn’t really meant for her? What if they resented her? How could she live with someone who the universe had selected to replace the only person she had ever loved?

Barely conscious of her actions, she shuffled along until she reached a park, empty on this cold, cloudy day that threatened to rain. She passed the swings, the monkey bars, every other play structure, and a covered area, until she reached the wall on the other side of the park. A lone bench stood against the stone wall; Asahina lay down on it, curling into a ball and extending her left arm so that her wrist was as far from the rest of her body as possible. She could still see the numbers counting down—thirty seconds—and, despite the rising fear, she couldn’t take her eyes off of them.

_Twenty-four_ …Asahina began to tremble uncontrollably.

_Twenty-one_ …Her breath hitched in her throat, and she fought to breathe, fought to control the screams she so desperately wanted to let out.

_Sixteen_ …She began crying, letting the tears flow unhindered.

_Eleven_ …Asahina squeezed her eyes shut; her whole body was wracked with sobs that she desperately hoped wouldn’t draw attention to her.

_Six_ …She could hear footsteps. _No, no, no…_

_Five…four…three…two…_

_One…_

_Beep-beep._

That innocent sound was almost inaudible, but unmistakable: the signal that her timer had finished its countdown hit Asahina like a train. A loud sound, almost too desperate to be called a wail, forced its way out of her throat. She felt as if her world was ending.

“Oh god…dude, are you okay? Are you hurt? What’s the matter?”

She kept her eyes closed tightly and tried to ignore the confused, concerned questions. But she couldn’t ignore the hand on her shoulder, shaking her frantically.

“Go away!” she choked out. Her voice squeaked under the strain of suppressed sobs; her eyes flew open on instinct, and took in the sight of wild hair, light brown eyes, and wrinkled clothing.

He backed up, and it was then that Asahina remembered that her timer was in plain sight. She tried to hide it, but the man had noticed her eyes flying to the piece of plastic and had followed her gaze. “Did it break? Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, dude! Who needs those stupid things anyway? I can tell when you’ll meet your other half without it! Here, let me see your hand!”

Asahina sat up and clutched her wrist to her chest, willing her timer to fall off so she could stuff it in her pocket and leave. But the man was insistent; despite her protests, he just stretched his hand out. “I’m not gonna hurt you, dude, I promise! Look, it’s not the end of the world if your timer broke! I’m telling you, no one needs those things! See?” He extended his other arm and pointed to the cloth he had wrapped around it, stretching from his wrist to his elbow. “I don’t even know how much time is left on mine! Haven’t looked at it in years! It might not even be there anymore, but it doesn’t really matter, you know? Doesn’t mean a thing.”

When Asahina still refused, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Hey, I’m not gonna look at your timer if you don’t want me to, dude. Just let me look at your palm, and I’ll leave you alone. You won’t ever see me again. Trust me, okay?”

Asahina thought about it. She didn’t see how her hand would provide any information, but if he was really just going to leave…it couldn’t hurt, could it?

With her other hand clamped tightly around her wrist, she extended her left hand towards the man. He cradled it with his—his touch was so gentle, and strangely comforting—and traced the lines on her hand with his fingers. “Let’s see...life line, head line…here we go, love line. If we were to ignore the shape and straighten the curves, I’d say you’d meet your other half around…

Slowly, the man let go of her hand. He stared at her, and then looked down at his cloth-covered wrist as if it were a snake waiting to strike. He took a deep breath and muttered something under his breath before grabbing the cloth and tearing it off, revealing a timer that proudly presented nothing but zeros.

“But…that’s not…I don’t believe in these things…they don’t…no way…” He looked back and forth between his wrist and Asahina, disbelief and shock written all over his features. He looked just as scared as she felt.

Suddenly, a whole new set of worries joined the ones still sitting in her mind. _Does he hate me? Is he disappointed?_ Asahina was no longer sure if she whether she wanted the timer to be right or wrong.

He was still talking to himself. “This isn’t possible…it has to be broken. There’s just no way...I mean, I’m just barely scraping by, I’m living in my friend’s spare room…”

Asahina became conscious of the tears drying on her cheeks, and reached up to brush them away; as she did, she felt the tiny strip of plastic slide off her wrist, exposing the flawless skin beneath. It felt so strange, having nothing on her wrist, no numbers to watch when she was bored. It was like losing an old friend, and she desperately wanted to fill the void.

She still couldn’t find her voice, so she did the next best thing: she scooted over and patted the bench next to her. The man sat down, staring at nothing in particular, looking so much like a confused child.

“This is gonna sound crazy, but…” He fidgeted with the edge of his coat. “I guess I got so used to the idea that I wasn't anyone's soul mate that I’m having trouble believing it. I don’t know how I feel about it. Sorry, dude, it’s just really sudden.”

“I know.” Asahina surprised herself with a steady voice. “I thought I knew who my soul mate would be—our timers matched and everything—but then, when it turned out she wasn’t…”

The man nodded. “It’s scary, dude. It’s like, you think you have it all figured out, and then life pulls the rug out from under you and you see that the map you’ve been looking at was just a mirror image or something.”

They sat in silence for a long time, just thinking, reorganizing their worlds. Asahina was surprised to see that things were making sense; her world wasn’t ending, and it wasn’t nearly as frightening as she thought it would be.

Then it started to rain, forcing them to run for the covered area. Asahina’s sweatshirt was thin enough that she was soaked, despite being in the downpour for less than a minute. The man’s coat, on the other hand, had fared much better.

“Here,” he said, offering it to her. Without thinking about it, she stripped off her sweatshirt and replaced it with the coat, wrapping it around herself and soaking in the warmth.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling for the first time in thirty-six hours.

The man smiled back. “Hey, I didn’t introduce myself! My name’s Hagakure Yasuhiro.”

“I’m Asahina Aoi. It’s nice to meet you, Hagakure-kun."

To her surprise, she genuinely meant it.


	2. Leon x Sayaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a big fan of accidental meetings.
> 
> Really short, kinda crappy chapter. I'm so sorry. I promise the next one is better.

It was all over the tabloids and the internet. Even people who usually ignored the antics of celebrities were talking about it, simply because it was so uncommon.

Most singers and actors took time off when their timer was within a week and a half of running out; it gave them time to disappear before word got out, so they could meet their other half unhindered by hopeful fans. But Maizono Sayaka absolutely refused.

Her group members assured her it would be fine if she took time off; a couple of them begged her to, because she worked so hard. Perhaps they feared that concerts would get out of hand if she performed so close to the end of her countdown. Still, Maizono was determined see the show go on. It had taken months to get the location reserved for their upcoming concert, and the waiting list for the venue was so long they were bound to be canceled if the lead singer was absent.

As a result of the news leak, the concert was sold out within weeks of its announcement. When the day of the concert came, the cheers of the crowd were deafening. One of the girls peeked out from behind the curtain and whistled. “We’ve never had such a large crowd before! It’s a good thing we got extra security!”

Maizono checked her wrist for the seventh time. Twenty minutes.

“Having second thoughts, Sayaka-chan?”

She shook her head. “Let’s do this."

* * *

This was not Leon’s idea of a Saturday night well-spent.

He didn’t care about idols. Well, he sort of did. He admired their success in the music industry, but he wasn’t one of those boys who swore he would marry an idol. He was perfectly happy with his girlfriend.

He was also perfectly fine with not having a timer. His had broken when he was less than a year old; he’d spent his life without one, and that was how he’d met his girlfriend. He figured he’d found his soul mate without a timer, and he was proud of that fact.

His girlfriend was the only reason he was at the concert, in the front row, watching as the most successful idol group in Japan took to the stage. All the cameras were trained on Maizono Sayaka.

He’d heard the rumors, of course. How could he not? Leon didn’t really care, didn’t think about it beyond a faint interest in seeing how it all played out. Presumably, someone in this crowd was Maizono’s destiny.

“This could mean the end of her career,” Leon’s girlfriend had explained to him before they left. “You know idols aren’t allowed to date, right? Most aren’t even performing at all when their timer runs out. She’s really an anomaly!”

As the first song started, Leon yawned. His legs were getting tired, and it was difficult to stay near his girlfriend when the crowd was pressing forward.

He endured the concert, successfully keeping near the front. Then as the final song came to a close, disaster struck. Maizono, in the middle of a solo, lost her balance and fell forward, towards the edge of the stage.

Leon was completely unprepared for the surge of fans. As a group of boys behind him shoved forward, he was sent flying towards a security guard. Before he could hit the guy, another fan shoved him to the side, and he slipped between two guards and felt his stomach hit the stage with enough force to knock the wind out of him.

A moment later, he became aware of a hand wrapped around his upper arm.

The music had stopped. The entire crowd had gone still and silent, a sharp, eerie contrast to the chaos that had reigned mere seconds ago. Everyone’s eyes were trained on Leon, or on the giant screens that showed a live feed of the concert. Leon’s girlfriend looked as if she’d been struck by lightning.

And Leon himself was staring right at Maizono Sayaka as her timer hit zero.

 _Well, shit_ , he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leon's girlfriend isn't a specific character, she's just an anonymous supporting character.
> 
> So now Leon has to deal with the press, a heartbroken girlfriend, and the hatred of hundreds of Maizono fans. Life just seems to hate him.


	3. Tsumiki x Souda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are exactly zero fics for this ship. That changes now.

She lived in fear of the day her timer reached zero.

She knew exactly how it would play out: she’d lose her balance and end up in some compromising position, right in front of them. They’d look at her, realize who she was, and the look of disgust and disappointment on their face would be too much to bear.

To make matters worse, Tsumiki’s timer had always been short. Seventeen years, when most people had to wait close to twenty. Her friends in junior high told her it wouldn’t matter—someone like her would probably end up with a broken timer, because who would want her as a soul mate? And Tsumiki believed them, of course, because why would they lie to her?

She was constantly checking her timer. Each hour that passed made her more and more anxious; she found herself wishing for a broken timer, then hating herself for wishing death on someone whose only crime was landing her as a soul mate. She had trouble sleeping. Her friends started to get bored with her constant obsession, and stopped talking to her altogether. By the time she had turned seventeen, Tsumiki was a friendless, nervous wreck.

The night before her fateful, scheduled encounter was a sleepless one. To keep herself awake, Tsumiki got up early and rushed to a coffee shop, wishing she didn’t have to rely on caffeine to remain alert. She glanced at her timer every few seconds; it took her a long time to order her drink, and the barista became impatient and she was only getting more flustered…

And then, to make matters worse, mere seconds after she had gotten her coffee, she tripped on her shoelace and lost her grip on the cup. The lid, perched precariously as it was, flew off, and the scalding hot liquid hit the man before Tsumiki did.

Thus, she got her first surprise: instead of falling into an embarrassing position, Tsumiki landed safely in the arms of her soul mate, just as her timer beeped in tandem with his.

Her second surprise came almost immediately afterward, when she looked up at his face and he smiled. There were no signs of disgust or disappointment, just pure, unadulterated joy.

“Falling for me already, huh?” he joked. He was certainly peculiar: sharp teeth, pink hair, and a yellow jumpsuit. Even with her overactive imagination, Tsumiki could never have guessed that her soul mate would look like this.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I spilled my coffee all over you, you must hate me so much…”

He looked so concerned that Tsumiki immediately felt guilty. “Wha—why would I hate you? ‘S just a jumpsuit, a little coffee never hurt anyone.”

“But it’ll stain! I’ve ruined your clothes and we’ve only just met!”

“Please, this old thing’s been through a whole lot worse than hot coffee spilled by an even hotter girl.”

Tsumiki could feel her face turning red and looked down to hide her ugly, ruddy cheeks—and realized the boy was still holding her shoulders.

“I sh-should go…I’ve caused enough trouble already.”

The boy’s grip tightened; when Tsumiki looked up, she saw panic written in his features. “No, please, don’t go now! Look, I’ll get ya another coffee if you’ll just stay for a bit.”

“But I—“

“Please, ‘m beggin’ ya. I’ve been waitin’ for this moment my whole life, and I really, _really_ don’t wanna see the girl of my dreams walk away without at least havin’ a chat.”

Tsumiki gasped and smiled. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined that her soul mate would be anything but upset. She didn’t deserve this, it had to be a dream, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it while it lasted.

“Yes…yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you any concern.”

The boy relaxed. “Thanks.” Then, with the same confidence he had shown when they’d first met, he said, “Souda Kazuichi. You?”

“Tsumiki M-mikan.”

The boy grinned. “Tsumiki-chan…can I call you Tsumiki-chan?”

“O-of course! I’m honored! No one’s ever called me that before!”

“Well, Tsumiki-chan, why don’t ya take a seat? I’ll be right back!”

She practically floated to the table. Cloaked in her euphoria, she didn’t see the approaching figure until it was too late.

“Well, if it isn’t Ugly Mikan!”

Tsumiki flinched at the sound of her old friend’s taunting. “I’m sorry I’m so ugly…”

“You should be! What do you think you’re doing here? You’re altogether too happy!”

“I know, I don’t deserve to enjoy myself, I’m sorry…”

“Look at you, you’re so pathetic! You know you’re good for nothing except entertainment, right? Right?”

“Yes, I know…”

“Hey, Tsumiki-chan! What’s botherin’ ya?” Souda set down a coffee cup in front of her and took the seat across from her, sipping his own drink. “Who’s this?”

Tsumiki just looked down at her lap.

Her friend laughed. “Don’t tell me. This is the poor bastard who got stuck with you as a soul mate, isn’t it? Sucks to be you!”

“What…?”

“Fair warning, kid, she’s nothing but an ugly whore. She probably tripped over thin air and landed with her ass in the air, didn’t she? She’s such a needy bitch, she’s practically asking for it, you know. She’ll cling to you like moss to a tree, too. I’ve been her friend for years, and there’s really no way of getting rid of her. Honestly, if I were in your place, I’d kill myself!”

Tsumiki couldn’t bring herself to meet Souda’s eyes. _I knew it, I knew it was too good to be true…_

“You _bitch_.”

Tsumiki flinched.

“You complete and utter _bitch!_ What gives you the right to talk about Tsumiki-chan like that?”

Surprised, Tsumiki looked up and saw Souda towering over the other girl, teeth bared and fists clenched. The girl looked petrified.

“You’re not her friend. _You’re_ nothing but a jealous, ugly whore, ya hear me? Tsumiki-chan is a hundred times prettier than you, and she sure as hell doesn’t deserve to be treated like trash, so I’d suggest you get the fuck outta here before I _make_ ya!”

Scared silent, the girl nodded and dashed out of the coffee shop. Many of the customers applauded, and one person yelled, “Good riddance!”

Souda took a deep breath and sat down again. “You need better friends, Tsumiki-chan.”

“Thank you for standing up for me, but you really didn’t have to. She didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Everyone always says those things to me.”

“They shouldn’t! Don’t believe them anymore, ya hear me? They’re all wrong! I mean, sure, I’ve only known ya for a few minutes, but I just know that they’re wrong. You gotta believe me, Tsumiki-chan.” He paused and smiled. “Tsumiki-chan. Man, just sayin’ it makes me feel like smiling.”

Tsumiki blushed fervently, hiding her smile behind her hair. She was so happy she thought she might explode. “You’re too kind, Souda-san…”

_And I’m so, so lucky to have you._


	4. Celes x Togami

Togami had never liked having a timer attached to his wrist. It was unsightly, got in the way, and, even more aggravating, it gave him something in common with _normal_ people. The only reason he looked forward to finding his soulmate was the prospect of finally being rid of his timer.

There was one perk to having the thing, however, and that was that it was indisputable evidence that he and Fukawa Touko were not, in fact, destined to be together.

That didn't stop her from wishing, of course. Critics often commented on the sudden change of subject matter in Fukawa's books; only Togami knew why she was so fascinated with couples defying their timers and falling in love.

He hated to admit it, but there were times when Togami's thoughts would stray and he would catch himself thinking about the kind of person his soul mate would be. God forbid they be a commoner; no member of the Togami family would ever fraternize with someone like that. He was tempted to say that his soul mate should be the antithesis of Fukawa, but that was as far as he let his train of thought go. He wasn't some dreaming schoolgirl, picturing a life with a future husband or wife. There were more important things to consider.

When the day came, Togami took no chances. He spent the day window-shopping at the most expensive stores, eating in five-star restaurants. It was dark by the time his timer started counting down mere seconds.

As he passed a fancy coffee shop, a young woman in a black dress stepped onto the sidewalk, and his timer beeped. They both stopped and looked at each other.

 _So this is the woman 'fate' has chosen to be my soul mate?_ Togami thought. His eyes roamed over her, taking in every aspect. Elaborate hairdo, gothic Lolita clothing of high-quality material, expensive red heels, a finger ornament sharp enough to leave a scar, intelligent red eyes, porcelain skin, a doll-like face. She held herself with a certain poise and confidence, as if she expected the world to bow down at her feet.

He was aware that she was appraising him, too. She looked him in the eye, smiled, and said, "Well, you'll do nicely."

Despite himself, Togami's lips quirked into a brief smile at the snarky comment. _She's got spunk_. An obedient woman would have been ideal, but he wasn't complaining; this would be much more interesting.

She folded her hands together. "So, what is the name of the man that fate deemed to be worthy of me?"

"Togami Byakuya," he replied. "You have some nerve, speaking to me as if we were equals."

"Togami, you said?" She raised a hand to her lips and giggled. "Well, Lady Luck has been very kind to me. My name is Celestia Ludenberg."

 _That name is obviously fake_. "I've heard of you. The Queen of Liars is one of your titles, I believe."

"That is correct. I'm sure you understand the importance of a well-placed lie in maintaining power."

Togami's mind was made up. Despite her obvious eccentricities, Celestia Ludenberg was a fine specimen, clearly in possession of the necessary cunning, intelligence, and grace for a companion to the heir of the Togami family. Some of the less desirable aspects of her character could be wiped away with time.

Togami had no doubt that a similar line of thought was running through Celestia's head at that very moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically how I see their relationship working out.


	5. Sonia x Gundam

Gundam Tanaka was born with a broken timer.

It was one of his many insecurities, proof that he was undeserving of love. No matter what his mother or his counselors would say, nothing changed his conviction that he was destined to remain alone.

Nobody he met had ever heard of a healthy baby being born with a broken timer. There were instances of children born without timers, usually ones that didn't survive for more than a few days, but there had never been an incident like Tanaka's. He was doubly alone, it seemed. What was worse, the broken timer remained attached to his wrist, a physical reminder of his abnormality.

For most of his life, he accepted the fact. He withdrew into himself, and his peers were more than happy to avoid interaction. Then one day, everything changed.

He'd been feeding his hamsters when his mother cried out, telling him to hurry and look at the TV. Normally, he would have ignored her, but she sounded frantic.

The television was tuned to a news channel, where a reporter was interviewing a pretty blonde girl. The title at the bottom of the screen identified her as Princess Sonia Nevermind of Novoselic.

"Princess, is there a reason you kept this a secret for so long?"

The girl nodded. "It has never happened before, you see. It makes me a...what is the expression? Creep of nature?"

"Freak of nature, perhaps?"

"Yes, that is it! My father, the king, thought that it would be best for the kingdom if my condition were not broadcast to the world."

"What made you decide to come out and say it?"

The girl shrugged. "I am tired of hiding it. I see no reason to be ashamed. It is sad, of course, but no life is free of suffering."

Tanaka looked at his mother. "What is the meaning of this? Earthly happenings are of no interest to me!"

"Shush!" His mother gripped the couch. "You'll see!"

The reporter was speaking again. "If you don't mind, princess, could we see it?"

"Of course!" The princess beamed and extended her arm, palm upwards, to reveal...

...a broken timer.

Tanaka stiffened.

"It has been like that all my life. The doctors do not think it will fall off by itself, but they do not think that removing it surgically is the answer, either," the princess said. "For a very long time, I wore nothing but long-sleeved garments. This is the first time in years that I have worn short sleeves."

Beside him, Tanaka's mother was grinning. "See, dear? You're not alone!"

Tanaka didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the princess's image on the screen. Somehow, he knew he had to meet Sonia Nevermind. He had to meet this other person who shared his condition.

The reporter turned to the camera. "Princess Sonia will be touring multiple countries, hosting a Q & A about her condition that is open to the public. A schedule is available on our website."

Tanaka looked at his mother. He didn't have to say anything; she knew what he meant.

* * *

The day came, and Tanaka found himself in the third row of people, as close as he could get at the moment. The princess had yet to appear. He fidgeted with his scarf, nervous for the first time.

"You'll be fine, dear," his mother had told him. She had work that day, which meant he was on his own, with no plan, no idea what he was actually there to do.

Then Sonia stepped out onto the stage, and all his nerves vanished. In their place was conviction, purpose. He took a deep breath and started to push his way through the crowd.

"Hello, everyone!" Sonia said. "I am so happy to be here!" Her parents were on either side of her, there were guards around the stage, but Tanaka kept going.

Just as a guard announced that the princess would be taking questions, Tanaka shoved through the front row and stumbled towards the stage. "Princess!"

Immediately, he was swarmed with security. He closed his eyes, expecting rough hands to shove him back, but instead, he heard the sweetest voice on earth. "Wait, please, let him speak!"

Tanaka opened his eyes and saw that the princess's smile was directed at him. The nerves were back; everyone was probably staring, the news cameras were probably recording this. There was nothing for it.

"Look," he said. He pulled up his sleeve and held out his arm, showing off the timer that had been a mark of shame his entire life.

Sonia's eyes widened. She moved to the front of the stage and peered down at his wrist. "You are...you are like me?"

There was a collective intake of breath from the crowd. A few reporters tried to get close, but security formed a wall.

Tanaka could only nod. His usual monologues were buried somewhere, and he found he didn't care to dig them out.

Sonia reached out to touch his timer--and Tanaka let her. As her fingers made contact with the cracked screen, it lit up, and two loud beeps caused both of them to jump.

"Princess!" One of the guards called out, but she waved him away. She looked at her own timer, then moved so her wrist and his were lined up. Both of their timers, previously blank, were now proudly showing the zeros.

The queen gasped. Cameras went wild. Shouts went through the crowd as the people in the back tried to figure out what was going on. In the middle of it all, the only thing Tanaka saw was the unadulterated joy on Sonia's face.

It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.


	6. Hinata x Komaeda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that all of the chapters have featured hetero couples. I felt the need to remedy that ;)

Switching schools was enough to make anyone nervous. Hinata was no stranger to butterflies in his stomach, but this...this was something else entirely.

* * *

He'd lost track of time. He hadn't checked his timer in so long--he'd grown used to having it, to the point where he didn't even notice it was there--so the numbers came as a complete surprise.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Hinata?"

In response, he held out his wrist. His mother's eyebrows knit together in a frown. "Did it break...?" She leaned closer and gasped. "Oh, Hinata, that's wonderful!"

"But it's my first day of school tomorrow!"

"I know! Aren't you excited?"

* * *

 _No,_ Hinata thought, standing in the front of his classroom. _I am most definitely not excited_.

Thirty pairs of eyes were fixed on him, assessing him. He'd introduced himself, checking the room, trying to figure out if his soulmate was one of the people staring at him, and now he was just standing there.

The teacher was talking; Hinata tuned his thoughts back to reality. "We still need to get you a desk, but it looks like Komaeda-san isn't here today. If you want, you can take his desk until the janitor comes with yours."

"No, it's fine. I can wait." _If I sit down, I might not be able to make myself stand up again_.

"He's sort of cute, don't you think?" he heard a girl whisper. Giggles of assent followed. Instinctively, Hinata checked his timer.

Big mistake.

The teacher's face lit up. "Oh, is it almost time?"

Instantly, the class started to whisper. Hinata heard a few _I hope it's me!_ 's and one _Show off_ , but he was more worried about the fact that _there were only ten seconds left_...

Suddenly, the classroom door slid open. "Sorry I'm late! I twisted both my ankles crossing the street, but I--"

The boy was cut off midsentence by two resonating beeps. The entire class went silent.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" the girl whispered. "We get a cute new transfer student, and he's taken by _Komaeda Nagito_."

Komaeda looked like a puppy who'd been through hell. He was dirty, limping, leaning heavily on the door for support, and his hair was a mess. Despite the pain he was in--how he'd managed to walk to school with two twisted ankles was a mystery--he was gazing at Hinata with such awe that it was almost overpowering. They'd been in the same room a total of one minute, and he was already in love.

At that moment, Hinata wanted to sink through the floor in embarrassment.

That was also the moment that the janitor arrived with the desk, and bumped into Komaeda. Unstable on his painful ankles, the boy was sent sprawling to the floor, eliciting laughs from a majority of the students. Hinata knelt down and offered a hand. "Are you okay?"

Komaeda turned his head up to look at Hinata and beamed. "Yes, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm not. Come on, get off the floor already."

Hinata helped Komaeda get to his feet, and saw that the janitor had put his desk...right next to Komaeda's. Judging by the teacher's proud expression, she had something to do with it.

Komaeda clung to Hinata all the way to the desk, and Hinata found that he didn't mind at all.


	7. Bonus: Hinata x Nanami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing bonus chapters! These will be alternate universe chapters where characters that already have a chapter are paired with a different person. I can't promise I'll write every character a bonus chapter, but this way, there will be more variety, and more chapters. I hope you enjoy them!

The day Hinata’s timer ran out, his class took a field trip to the local science center. On the bus, Souda wouldn’t stop ranting about how excited he was to see the new robotics exhibit; on Hinata’s other side, Komaeda was napping with his head on Hinata’s shoulder, murmuring in his sleep. Combine that with the fact that the bus driver had insisted they all sit three-to-a-seat—despite the _other_ fact that three-to-a-seat stopped being plausible after about third grade—and you had a very unhappy Hinata Hajime.

The first half of the trip went without a hitch. Hinata half-listened as Souda explained, in detail, the function of all the different machines on display. He wished the day would end soon—and that Komaeda would stop nodding off.

The tour director led the class into a large, round room that was mostly empty. In the middle of was a raised platform, roped off from the rest of the room, upon which sat a machine reminiscent of airport security, holding a powered-down robot. She—for it was obviously female—had a teal bodysuit and synthetic, grayish-lavender hair. She was a bit plump, not something one would expect in a robot, but certainly not unsightly.

“This is one of our proudest achievements,” the tour director said. “A fully-functional android, complete with her own unique personality. Of course, there are a few flaws that have yet to be worked out—for example, she uses a lot of power to run, so we have to recharge her more often than we’d like. We’ve named her Nanami Chiaki.”

Souda was vibrating with excitement. “Can we see her in action?”

“Definitely. We’ll just power her on, and you can ask her questions.”

The tour director nodded to a few scientists who stood near a control booth. One of them flipped a few switches; lights in the machine came on, and the android lifted her head. Her eyes opened.

And Hinata’s timer beeped.

The tour director, the scientists, all his classmates—everyone turned to stare at him. On the platform, the android looked at him, her surprisingly warm gaze accentuated by a small smile.

“Hello, Hinata Hajime.”

The tour director wrung his hands, unsure of what to do. “Um, perhaps we should power her down…”

“No way!” Souda said. “This is awesome. Hinata, go talk to her.” When Hinata didn’t move, Souda gave him a shove.

As Hinata took hesitant stepped towards the platform, he heard a heated discussion from the two scientists:

“This isn’t in her programming. _She doesn’t have a timer_.”

“The kid’s timer is the one that went off. It’s not about _her_ programming, it’s about _his_ timer.”

“We should shut her down right now. This isn’t right. We could get in big trouble.”

“But wouldn’t it be interesting to see what happens? Think of the data we could collect!”

“It’s unnatural. There must be something wrong with— _something_. Androids can’t be soul mates. They don’t even have _souls_.”

Minutes ago, Hinata would have agreed. Now, looking into Nanami Chiaki’s pale pink eyes, he wasn’t so sure.

“It’s nice to meet you, Hinata-kun,” the android said.

“How do you know who I am?”

“I’ve always known. When I was made, I knew that I’d meet you.”

One of the scientists whispered, “But her programming…”

“It was not my programming,” Nanami said. “I don’t know what told me I would meet you, Hinata. I _was_ programmed to develop a personality and my own emotions; perhaps that is the part of me that knew. I was modeled after humans, so it is also a possibility that, by some coincidence, my timer was integrated into my being.”

“Okay, kid, step away,” the scientist said. “We’re powering down now.”

“No!” Hinata said. “Please, let me talk to her.”

“I don’t have a problem with it, Hinata-kun,” Nanami said. “I’m feeling a bit tired, anyway. Powering down is just like sleeping.”

“But—“

“I’m still a science experiment. After they’ve run more tests, they might allow me to live my own life. If that happens, I can try to get in contact with you. If you’d like.”

Then the lights on the machine died, and Nanami’s eyes drifted shut. Hinata felt strangely empty. He turned to the scientists.

“Is…was she right? Will she be allowed to see me again?”

The first scientist snorted, but the second one, the one who had allowed Nanami to talk to Hinata, spoke up. “We’ll make sure there’s a way. It might be a long time, though, kid. Are you sure you want to wait?”

“I’m sure.”

The scientist smiled. “Well, if you change your mind, feel free to tell us. If it’s okay with your teacher, we’ll have you to talk with our project director.”

Hinata looked at his teacher for confirmation and noticed that he was still the focus of everyone’s attention. Souda gave him a thumbs-up, and Komaeda waved. Their teacher looked uncertain, but nodded.

As the kind scientist led him out of the room, Hinata cast one last glance over his shoulder at the sleeping android. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he glimpsed a small smile on Nanami’s face.

_We’ll see each other again. I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No matter how I look at Nanami, her hair never looks pink to me. It's really more lavender or gray than pink. Grayish-lavender.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus points if you understand the reference I made with Sakura's timer breaking.
> 
> Also I'm adding a few details to the AU. The timer disintegrates a few hours after it breaks, but just falls off when it reaches zero. There are also quite a few people who don't believe the timers actually work, or don't think they're natural, so they cover it up to better ignore it.


End file.
